Covers, i.e. caps, which at the outset, cover and protect hypodermic needles until the intentional use occurs of a disposable hypodermic needle syringe, and which, subsequently, cover the used hypodermic needle to protect persons from being pricked by a used hypodermic needle, have been, are, and will continue to be provided. As stated by Donald G. Russell in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,279 of Nov. 19, 1991 pertaining to his protective sheath for hypodermic needle:
"Incidences of injury and the spread of infection and contamination from inadvertent punctures or `sticks` by hypodermic needles are a source of increasing concern in hospitals, physician's offices and other facilities which require medical personnel to handle and dispose of hypodermic needles after they have been used on a patient. Additionally, the appearance of medical waste and particularly `sharps` such as hypodermic needles in areas not approved for disposal or, more importantly, public areas such as beaches and parks where disposal is not permitted, has lead to new environmental regulations governing the disposal of medical waste. The concern for infection of medical personnel and the spread of life-threatening diseases such as viral hepatitis and acquired immunity deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are forcing manufacturers of medical supplies to seek out new forms of protection and disposal to minimize the hazards arising from such waste. PA1 Hypodermic needles pose a special hazard for medical personnel because they are used quite frequently, often in emergency situations where time is critical and care in handling is preempted by the exigencies of the situation. Additionally, hypodermic needles are generally supplied with a sheaf covering the needle and re-sheathing the needle after use poses a moderate risk of puncture since the sheath has a generally narrow opening and fingers holding the sheath are generally located immediately adjacent the opening. The problem with inadvertent punctures has lead some hospitals to establish regulations that prohibit medical personnel from re-sheathing needles after use. Of course, the consequence of such regulations is exposed, contaminated needles in the medical waste. PA1 Still further problems that arise from hypodermic needles are the pilferage of medical waste by I.V. drug users and the infection that may arise from repeated use of the needles by different users. If the needles were decommissioned after use by authorized facilities, the spread of disease and contamination from pilfered hypodermic needles would be greatly reduced." PA1 "devices for destruction of a hypodermic needle after use. The earlier patent also mentions that a prior art technique for destroying a hypodermic needle includes bending the needle with a protective cap so that the needle can not be again re-used." PA1 "The sheath comprises a hollow tubular sleeve having a first longitudinal end with an opening for receiving a hypodermic needle. The tubular sleeve has a second longitudinal end opposite the first, and the length of the sleeve between the two ends is greater than the length of the needle to be encased by the sheath. The tubular sleeve also has a relatively rigid first tube section adjacent the first longitudinal end and a relatively rigid second tube section adjacent the second longitudinal end of the sleeve. An intermediate tube section joining the first and second tube sections is flexible to allow the first and second tube sections to be bent out of axial alignment with one another along with a hypodermic needle that is encased within the sheath. By bending the needle within the case, the needle is crimped and de-commissioned which prevents re-use, inadvertent or otherwise, and captures the needle within the sheath for safe disposal. The protective sheath therefore reduces possibilities of injury, infection and transmission of disease." PA1 "A syringe cap includes a hollow cap body and a hammer body fitted in a fitting body which in turn is fitted slidably in an end of the cap body for telescoping movement. The hammer body has a hitting end with a concave surface facing a closed end of the fitting body which can be pierced by the needle. The needle bent by the concave surface can engage permanently with the closed end so that the hammer body and the fitting body will never separate from the cap body." PA1 "A shielded safety syringe comprising a cylindrical outer protective sleeve, a cylindrical inner needle carrier movable axially through the outer sleeve, and a double-ended hypodermic needle retained at a distal end of the needle carrier and movable with the carrier through the sleeve. A movement of the inner needle carrier through the outer protective sleeve corresponding causes the needle to be relocated from an axially extended position, at which to make a veni puncture through a patient's tissue, to a retracted position, at which the needle is completely surrounded and shielded by the outer sleeve to permit a safe handling and disposal of the syringe. A portion of the distal end of the needle carrier at which the needle is retained is pivotally connected to the needle carrier. When the needle is located in the retracted position, said distal end portion may be rotated and the needle thereby canted toward the outer sleeve to prevent both access to the needle and the return of the needle to the axially extended position, whereby to avoid an accidental needle strike and the spread of a contagious and, possibly life threatening, disease." PA1 "a needle having, at its end opposite to its tip, a collar with a frustum of cone shaped outer surface, a cap being provided to protect the needle after use, said cap having a cavity in which the needle can be completely inserted and protected, said cavity being open at one of its ends where a seat that is substantially complementary to that of the needle collar is formed, characterized in that the cap, close to its open end, is provided with elastically deformable catching members, said members strongly engaging the collar of the needle when the needle is forced and completely pushed into the cap cavity."
Mr. Russell, continuing in his background statement, refers to three U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,667; 4,740,204, and 4,799,927 disclosing:
Thereafter Mr. Russell illustrates and describes his protective sheath for hypodermic needles to protect the needle until it is intentionally used. Then after the needle is used he describes his method of using his protective sheath to decommission this used needle so the needle cannot be used again, and the used needle remains covered during the intentional disposal of the used needle.
Donald Russell says:
other patents, each of which refer to other references cited are:
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,323 of Jun. 1, 1982, Erik G. B. Reenstierna discloses his destruction device for injection needles, which is placed over a used hypodermic needle. Then during the application of a tapping force, the used needle is bent and/or broken, upon the relative motion of axial sleeves, which direct projections into destructive contact with the used needle. Thereafter, with the axial sleeves still in place, the entire disposable hypodermic needle syringe with this destruction device is safely disposed of.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,428 of Jan. 6, 1987, Cwo-Liang Cuu illustrates and describes his cover for a disposable syringe. The cover is initially provided with the disposable syringe. Then after the intended use of the disposable syringe, the cover is manipulated to shorten its length so its self-contained bending and needle end retaining portion can receive, bend, and thereby restrain the needle, as this portion is rotated by using a tool, such as an Allen wrench.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,320 of Mar. 1, 1988, Chang-Cheng Chen disclosed his syringe cap with a hammer. His abstract reads as follows:
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,808 of Jul. 11, 1989, Messrs. Haber and Foster illustrated and described their safety syringe having a needle to be retracted and canted within a protective sleeve. Their abstract reads:
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,044 of Feb. 19, 1991, Carmelo Lo Duca discloses his protective needle syringe. He provides a syringe comprising:
All of these previous ways of first protecting the hypodermic needle of a disposable hypodermic needle syringe to keep it medically ready for patient use, and thereafter to keep it from injuring anyone, and often to destroy it, preventing its reuse are acknowledged and respected. Yet there remains a need for a relatively low cost, conveniently manufactured, easy to use, multiple purpose hypodermic needle cap to be provided initially with a disposable hypodermic needle syringe, and which is subsequently used to bend and to fully capture and lockingly surround the used and then destroyed hypodermic needle.